Here's a small collection of words and phrases that puzzled me last week. The meanings are provided.

• gander. a look or glance. Take a gander at that man.
• flagellation. flog (someone), either as a religious discipline or for sexual gratification.
• the benefit of the doubt. the concession that a person must be regarded as correct or justified, if the contrary has not been proven.
• petri dish. a shallow, circular, transparent dish with a flad lid, used for the culture of microorganisms.